“Wow, to think that it can be so fast when it was so slow previously! So it was just an act!” Someone said in astonishment.

“Why are young people nowadays so dishonest, isn’t that out right bullying? But I like it…”

“When my speed is at his level, I would fake a bit here and there, too. It must be amazing.”

Qing Shui was speechless when he heard the comments.

“Brat, you are really daring huh? How dare you talk to our third bro like this. Brothers, go together and teach him a lesson. PUNCH HIM!” The voice of that skinny youth from the start rang out.

Qing Shui hated this kind of nasal voice the most.

After hearing the words of the skinny youth, over ten burly young men dashed towards Qing Shui while that skinny youth stood at the back. The expression on his face now was as though he was asking for a beating, smiling sinisterly at Qing Shui.

Qing Shui’s proficiency with the Taiji Single Whip had already reached a very high level. Spreading his feet, he adopted a horse stance while both his arms hung loosely by his side. The speed of his arms didn’t appear fast; on the contrary, they were so slow to the extent that everyone was able to track the movements of his arms.

His arms ‘danced’ about like butterflies flying in the garden, and those that suffered his lash all ended up with broken bones and agonized yells and painful shrieks filled the air.

In the blink of an eye, the ten over men that dashed towards him were all already lying on the ground suffering various degrees of injuries. Qing Shui then calmly walked towards the skinny youth who stood at the back.

“Ka cha!”

Qing Shui directly smashed the bones of the youth’s chin, bloodcurdling screams rang out as the youth promptly fainted into unconsciousness. The only one remaining was the burly and muscular man who was standing there, surveying the scene dumbly.

Qing Shui directed a faint smile at him before he left. The burly man was still in a state of disbelief; gazing about, he realized that none of those which Qing Shui attacked was able to even stand up. Qing Shui, at the very least, must be at the fifth level of Xiantian Realm.

“Remember this: if there’s a next time, I shall break your legs. Both your legs.” Qing Shui smiled.

“Wa, there are actually people who dare to threaten the third young master of the Gongsun Clan. This should be a good show to watch.” A random bald stranger exclaimed in excitement.

Although the volume of his voice wasn’t loud, Qing Shui could clearly hear him as though he was standing next to him!

After hearing that voice, Qing Shui turned and discovered a male dressed in a white, starmoon robe, smiling as he gazed at Qing Shui. Qing Shui nodded lightly in his direction to acknowledge him before he left.

Qing Shui knew that the guy was reminding him. It seemed like the Gongsun Clan had some status in the Heavenly Palace, but Qing Shui thought of his own pillar of support. In the Starmoon Hall, Fei Wuji and Cang Wuya should have even more status when compared to the Gongsun Clan by right, so Qing Shui wasn’t too worried.

Qing Shui was even suspecting if that guy was reminding him that as long as he didn’t touch anyone from the Gongsun Clan, he should be fine. In any case, Qing Shui didn’t wish to shine too brilliantly for now. That was why he didn’t touch the burly guy.

Beat the dogs first before beating the master! This was something he had always believed in.

After leaving the area and walking for a while, Qing Shui soon noticed Canghai Mingyue and Huoyun Liu-Li walking towards his direction with smiles on their faces. Qing Shui rubbed his nose, and under the countless gazes of envy, he walked towards the pair of beauties. He didn’t know how long since they arrived, and had they even witnessed the scene of him beating up the other trashes?

“Who the fish is this person, why are his skills so good? Even his women are beautiful; their beauty only lost out by a shade compared to the Palace Mistress of the Misty Hall!”

“Yeah, look at that unveiled lady. I initially thought that she was the Palace Mistress of the Misty Hall, but upon a closer look, her eyes seem to lack something,” some random guy immediately replied.

The sounds of their discussion were like a bomb in Qing Shui’s ears. What? The Palace Mistress of the Misty Hall was even more beautiful than Canghai Mingyue? Qing Shui immediately thought of that Portrait of Beauty. Was the woman in the portrait her?

Palace Mistress of the Misty Hall? The person in command of the Misty Hall! The Misty Hall was the hall which both Canghai Mingyue and Huoyun Liu-Li joined; the hall that solely accepts females.

“Qing Shui, why didn’t you look for us these few days? And you also didn’t pay a visit to the master.” Huoyun Liu-Li laughed.

“Haha, I was busy. Come, let me bring you all to learn something powerful. However, how much you can absorb would have to depend on your own innate talent.” Qing Shui started, after he said these words. Weren’t these words that Fei Wuji had told him?

“Oh, what technique is that powerful? Why are you acting so mysteriously?” Huoyun Liu-Li stuck her tongue out at Qing Shui.

“You will know once you are there.” Qing Shui laughed, as he lead the way towards the stone carvings.

“The Palace Mistress of our Misty Hall is a supreme beauty, and is comparable to Sister Mingyue. Do you want to go take a look? Maybe…you could hug her, too…” Huoyun teased Qing Shui, looking at him with her sexy and charming eyes.

“Umm, I’m just asking, no other intentions.” Qing Shui hurriedly mumbled in response.

“Qing Shui, our Palace Mistress is veiled, but her eyes are really beautiful and resemble that of sister Mingyue. Initially when we entered the Misty Hall, many people suspected sister Mingyue was the Palace Mistress herself.” Huoyun giggled.

“Hehe, I don’t dare to compare myself with the Palace Mistress. She really seems like an immortal that has descended from the Heavens.” Canghai Mingyue straightforwardly replied.

This time round, Qing Shui finally believed them. After all, Canghai Mingyue was the one who said it. So was the Palace Mistress the girl in the portrait? Because… the Palace Mistress was wearing a veil, too.. Could she really be one of the twelve beauties painted by the Art Maestro?

“I don’t believe that there would be a woman even more beautiful than both of you.” Qing Shui smiled as he gazed at them, but his demeanour appeared to be extremely serious.

“Come, let’s go and look at the stone carvings! Use your heart to feel it!”

The three of them had already reached the outer boundary of the stone monuments region. Qing Shui hurriedly changed the topic, before Huoyun Liu-Li teased him again.

“Woah, does this way of running seem similar to the deer cantering technique?” Huoyun asked.

“Liu-Li, let us gain insights here first before discussing it when we go back,” Canghai Mingyue replied.

“Okay!”

Qing Shui had already moved towards the area with the tiger carvings and on the first monument, he saw a scene of a tiger hunting its prey.

The tiger’s claws extended as it lunged towards its prey, a truly majestic moment. Qing Shui knew that in his past life, even a normal tiger was capable of unleashing two thousand jin of strength with a single paw strike. The name Emperor of a Hundred Beasts was not named in vain for their species indeed!

Looking down with contempt at its prey, enhancing the chance of victory tremendously. Wasn’t tiger might also a kind of aura?

The next depiction was titled as ‘Tiger Tear’. It showed tiger’s paws smacking downwards with brutal strength, like the slash of a gigantic sabre. This depiction strangely reminded Qing Shui of the chopping stance in the Basic Sword Technique, as his eyes glowed in contemplation. Qing Shui quickly immersed himself within the insights before he moved on to the next. After studying several depictions, he came to the conclusion that regardless of whether it was Tiger’s Tear, Tiger’s Lunge, Tiger’s Mount or Tiger’s Descend, etc, all of it encompassed Tiger’s Might. That was the most important conclusion he drew.

His Tiger Form, his Chopping stance, could all incorporate Tiger’s Might within, and brought his power up another level!

Glancing upwards, he realized that half a day had already passed, and Qing Shui discovered that the two ladies were by his side!

“Qing Shui, did you spend the past few days living here?” Huoyun Liu-Li asked.

“Yup.”

“You didn’t learn other stuff?”

“I did. I spent the past two days learning the Heavenly Palace Sword Art from the instructor.” Qing Shui laughed, satisfying the curiosity of Liu-Li.

“Hehe, these few days Sister Mingyue and I followed the old master Cang Wuya and learnt the cloudmist steps. And after the cloudmist steps are mastered, he will teach us the Heavenly Thunder Slash, and after that, the Divinity Protection...”

Qing Shui was flabbergasted; the two techniques that he had wanted to learn were actually so easily taught to the both of them. When would he even be able to begin learning these techniques…

“Old master told us to bring you back to meet him, that was why Sister Mingyue and I came here today,” Huoyun joyfully exclaimed. She knew that Qing Shui was sad because he didn’t have access to these two techniques.

“When did I ever lie to you? But you have Sister Mingyue to thank for this. If it was not for her that made a promise to….”

“Liu-Li!”

“Ah, okay I won’t say anything, I won’t say anything.” Huoyun Liu-Li quickly used her hands to cover her mouth.

In Qing Shui’s mind, he was still shocked by the sudden revelation that he had a chance to learn the consummate techniques, that he didn’t notice the shy expression on Mingyue’s face, nor did he notice what Huoyun Liu-Li had let slip.

As Canghai Mingyue noticed Qing Shui’s expression, she felt an ambivalence of joy and disappointment. Joyful because he didn’t notice, and somewhat disappointed as well because of it.